Page 94 of Night Meets the Elf Queen (The Elf Queen #4)

The shield shoved everything in her path aside. Red caught her eye, and she found Piper running beside her. Then Thane appeared on her other side. Hel flew above. She glanced back, Leif and Fennan were right there.

Fists and claws and weapons hit her shield, but they bounced off.

She pushed through until they found Ronan kneeling on the ground. Ronan held Dax in his arms, blood and dirt covered them both. Her knees wobbled and her throat constricted. The streaks of tears that cut through the mess on Ronan’s stricken face made her blood seem to freeze.

KATANA

Katana chewed on the edges of her nails as she paced before the windows in Valeen’s room. Smoke rose in the distance. Thunderous crashing from dragons and boulders hitting the magical shield echoed across the Valley. A few of the blows made her heart stop.

Even from here she could see the dark spots in the iridescent wall, and what looked like hairline cracks. If that doesn’t hold… her throat tightened at the thought. The entire city would be overrun, all the innocent people sheltering here would be slaughtered.

Her body buzzed, her pace quickening. She felt the danger Thane was in, like his battle fueled racing heart was beating in her own ears.

In her mind she could see flashes of what he saw through their bond; his blades cutting through armor, heads being separated from their bodies, and blood, so much blood. It made her ill.

He was severely outnumbered on the ground.

He roared and shoved his sword through the chest of a man and then whirled and cut the throat of a squat green troll.

The vision started to flicker— no, no, no, she slammed her eyes shut and rubbed her temples.

She had to keep the connection open, she had to see him.

He’d held her and kissed her before he left but what if she lost him right when she found her mate? For the first time in her life she felt truly loved and appreciated by her partner. For the first time ever, she was truly in love.

Tif hung off one of the green vines draping across the windows and peered out. “I can’t really see what’s happening. Are they alright? Oh, I hate not knowing.”

“Right now, I believe they’re alright.” Katana clutched at her chest as if it could calm her heart. “With King Drake’s arrival we might have a chance of winning,” but even as she said it her stomach seemed to coil as if knowing it was a lie.

“If that wall breaks,” Princess Talon stared out the window on the opposite side of the room, “we must leave for the human lands. There are horses waiting just in case. Thane made arrangements for two guards to escort us.”

Katana knew that he did, and that’s what he wanted, he even made her promise she would go, but she didn’t know if she could. What was life now without Thane? It was no life at all. “I don’t know if I can leave Thane.”

She shrugged. “Suit yourself, but the moment it goes down, I’m running. That’s what my brother told me to do. The Ravens will protect their king if it breaks and they are overrun. They will get Thane out and he will meet us at the rendezvous point.”

Pausing her pacing, she felt sick to her stomach. Would Thane leave to fight another day, or would he go down with his people?

A thud outside the door in the hallway made the hairs on her arms stand. “What was that?” Katana whispered.

“It sounded like someone fell.” Tif swung down from the vine and landed on the stone floor. “I’ll go check.”

“No,” Katana hissed and snatched the little gnome by the middle and held her against her chest.

She clutched at Katana’s hand and with big brown eyes looked up at her. “What is it?”

Talon slowly stepped away from the window and moved toward the door. “What if someone got through the wall. We didn’t lock it…”

The door handle clicked, and Talon froze in the center of the room. The hinges slowly creaked as the door crept open. Katana’s heart plummeted to her toes, and she backed into the window.

Synick stood just outside the bedroom, hands poised on the threshold. The guard posted outside laid unmoving on the ground.

“I finally found the room with the sword and look what else there is. My favorite goddess to torture, along with friends.” He stared at the softly illuminated sword, the very thing keeping this city from being destroyed.

“Anyone who wishes Valeen harm can’t get in here,” Katana reassured Talon and Tif as much as herself. It didn’t stop Talon from backing away or even herself from pushing back against the window and reaching for a latch.

“I want out of this city.” He tried to walk through the threshold of the door and slammed into an invisible wall.

He pressed his hands to it and curled his upper lip baring his teeth.

“More magic tricks, I see.” She expected him to start screaming at them to let him in or cursing their names, but he didn’t.

He lifted his good eye to Talon. “Princess,” his voice took on a melodic, resonant tone, one Katana knew well, “pull the sword free from the crack in the stone.”

As if in a daze, Talon walked forward.

“NO!” Katana tossed Tif onto the bed and darted in front of Talon. The gift of persuasion was one she hadn’t used in too long, but she grabbed Talon’s shoulders and stared her in the face. Her blue eyes were unfocused. “Hold still,” she commanded.

“I said, pull the sword. Pull it now. Push her out of the way if you must.”

Talon shoved against Katana, knocking her off balance.

Katana stumbled backward but regained her footing.

The princess was stronger than she expected her to be.

“Talon, you can’t touch that sword. Everyone will die.

” Katana grabbed her arm and swung her backward until Talon hit the chest at the end of the bed and fell onto the mattress.

“Get up, Princess,” Synick’s voice seemed to echo through the room. “Get that sword and give it to me.” His persuasion was much stronger than Katana’s because he was used to doing it. Even before she died, she rarely ever used the gift. It had always felt wrong.

With her feet slightly wider than shoulder width and her hands out in front of her, she prepared to fight Talon off again. Under Synick’s control she’d have no choice but to do as he told her to. “Talon, stay where you are.”

“Kill her if you have to,” Synick demanded.

Talon charged at her and slammed her shoulder into Katana, taking her to the ground. Her breath whooshed out. Talon was suddenly on top of her with her hands around Katana’s throat. The intense grip cut into her windpipe.

“Choke her until she doesn’t move.”

Katana screamed and bucked, slamming her fists into Talon’s arms to break the hold.

“Let go of me!” Katana felt her power in her own voice, and Talon released her.

She would not kill Thane’s sister no matter what happened.

Shoving her hips up, she tossed Talon onto the ground.

Talon scrambled up and dove for the sword’s handle.

“No, don’t!”

She grabbed hold of it and pulled. It moved an inch, and Katana wrapped her hands above Talon’s and pushed down.

A flash of Thane slammed into her mind.

He was completely surrounded. Valeen knelt on the ground beside Dax and Prince Ronan, the pain in his face said more than words. Tears welled up.

Dax was gone… They were in trouble. So many, there were so many to fight, and she felt Thane’s fear like it was wrapping around her. Doubt of victory crept into him, into her.

Choking on a sob, Katana pushed against Talon, her mind torn. Thane, keep fighting!

She wouldn’t hurt Talon to stop her, but she had to do something. She glanced back at Synick and the triumph in his eyes. Talon growled and pulled harder. Katana’s arms shook trying to keep the sword in place. She promised Valeen, she would protect it, protect the city.

Another flash of Thane—he screamed as he sunk his sword into someone and then a dagger stuck into his forearm. THANE!

VALEEN

Valeen’s breath caught seeing Dax’s motionless body. His eyes were wide open, but his head hung lifeless to the side. Thane, Piper, Leif, and Fennan immediately started cutting down those closing in around them.

Hel slammed both fists into the ground and opened up a massive split. Wails and shrieks of those falling in followed.

The sound of her pulse hammering in her ears drowned out the battle. Valeen dropped to her knees and touched Dax’s face. Already he felt colder. “Rest now in Serenity, Dax. You fought well.” Her throat tightened and she lifted her gaze to his prince. “He’s gone, Ronan.”

Ronan screamed, gently laid him on the ground and brushed his fingers over his eyes to close them. With his face twisted in rage, he rose up and his talons shot out. He charged into the fight with a fury of swings.

A cry of pain took her from sadness to wrath in an instant.

It was Leif, he stumbled back with a sword sticking through his right shoulder and fell to the ground.

A battle cry tore from her throat, and she shoved her sword through the belly of his attacker.

Then she went crazy, hacking and swinging.

Her shadows rolled out, spreading like a fog on a cold day across the battlefield, sliding into ears and eyes, burning them from the inside.

Screams of terror echoed all around. All of you die, just fucking die.

A man ran past her with blood pouring out of his eyes and mouth.

“Take her down! Get those cuffs on Valeen and Hel! Kill War!” Pricilla’s shrill voice enraged her further. Someone jumped on her back, then two more. She shifted to shadow, the enemy soldiers fell through, and she let her vines finish the work.

A whoosh cut through the air. Something gold caught the light. A chain suddenly wrapped around Hel’s neck.

Her heart shot into her throat. A furious heat rushed through her.

The pounding in her ears drummed harder. That is my mate.

“HEL!” Thane bellowed.